Artificial intelligence is mostly changing the nature of jobs in Australia’s resources and energy sector rather than eliminating them, according to a new industry study.

The Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association (AREEA) study draws on an exploratory literature review and structured interviews with 33 AI, data, digital and people and culture leaders across 23 mining, oil and gas and contracting organisations.

AREEA deputy chief executive Tara Diamond said the findings pushed back against the dominant public narrative around AI and jobs.

“The public conversation about AI in the workforce is often dominated by a narrative around job displacement, but that is not what resources and energy employers are telling us,” Ms Diamond said.

“AI is changing what people do, how work is organised and where accountability sits.”

Participant feedback reported that jobs were changing more than disappearing, as AI redistributes tasks within existing roles and contributes to hybrid positions combining technical, operational and people leadership responsibilities.

Ms Diamond said job losses were only one part of the risk equation, with participants identifying nine distinct workforce concerns, including organisational trust, data privacy, surveillance, work intensification and accountability for AI-assisted decisions.

“The speed of AI development means employers need a more current picture of how the technology is affecting workforces,” she said.

“AI is moving too quickly for an annual review. By the time you publish it, you’re describing history.

“We’ll refresh this research regularly so employers can see what their industry peers are actually doing, where workforce risks are emerging and how quickly the picture is changing.”

Ms Diamond said the report found that most organisations in the sector remained in early experimentation with AI, with pockets of advanced capability operating alongside pilot-stage applications within the same business.

The full report is available here: Artificial Intelligence: A Resources and Energy Industry Workforce Report.